Pasture Lane to close for 10 weeks

A busy borough road is to close for 10 weeks to allow repair work on a retaining wall to get underway.

From Monday 18 September, Pasture Lane in Rainford will be closed to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians for around ten weeks as significant structural work on a retaining wall gets underway.

During this time a signed diversion will be in operation, and access to properties and businesses in Pasture Lane that lie on either side of the works will still be possible via the diversion.

On Boxing Day 2015, a gaping hole emerged between the pavement and road after rising flood water from a ditch made its ways underneath the footpath, causing a stone retaining wall to move which resulted in the footpath collapsing.

The council’s highways and maintenance team responded immediately to this incident to ensure the area was made safe in the interest of public safety.

A subsequent detailed inspection of the retaining wall revealed that the damage was severe over a considerable distance that it had also caused damage to a gas main located in close proximity.

The estimated cost of the work could not be covered within the council’s budget; however funding has now been secured from the Department for Transport, following a motion brought forward at a full-council meeting earlier this year.

Coun Terry Shields, cabinet member for Green, Smart and Sustainable Borough, said: “Our neighbouring local authorities received financial assistance to aid them in the recovery operation from Storm Eva, and with St Helens affected in a number of areas with both houses and highways suffering; it was only fair for us to receive funding, too, and we thank the Department for Transport for their support.

“We understand that this repair work is a long time coming, but with this funding we are now ready to fully restore Pasture Lane from its storm damaged state.”